State of Origin 2018: Maroons selection boss Gene Miles is wary of new NSW coach Brad Fittler
MAROONS selection boss Gene Miles is wary of new NSW coach Brad Fittler and says his “no dickhead” policy could finally topple the greatest dynasty in Origin history.
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MAROONS selection boss Gene Miles is wary of new NSW coach Brad Fittler and says his “no dickhead” policy could finally topple the greatest dynasty in Origin history.
With the Maroons just 17 days away from naming their team for Origin I, Miles admits Fittler shapes as the X-factor who will bring an ultra-professional edge to the Blues’ culture.
The basket case Blues are mired in the worst slump in their history, with Queensland coaches Mal Meninga and Kevin Walters having steered the Maroons to 11 series wins in the past 12 seasons.
Fittler will make his Origin coaching debut this season as Laurie Daley’s successor and Miles warned Queensland will not underestimate him, saying the NSW great will eliminate any bad eggs from the Blues.
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“There will be the ‘No Dickhead’ policy which they have suffered from in recent times,” said Miles, a veteran of 23 Origin games.
“There aren’t too many sneaky bits getting out but we are expecting something from Brad.
“Both ‘Locky’ (Maroons selector Darren Lockyer) and ‘Kevvie’ (Walters) know Brad reasonably well and you always expect the unexpected with him.
“I don’t think Brad will tolerate any of that (poor behaviour).
“He likes a good time himself but there is a line in the sand and he is very professional.”
The Blues’ preparations for Origin III last year descended into chaos when star duo Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson admitted to a boozy session just five days before the Suncorp decider.
Long-serving Blues halfback Mitchell Pearce has also endured several off-field scandals but Miles believes Fittler — a 31-game Origin legend — will preside over a more disciplined NSW set-up.
“New coach, new ideas ... he really got State of Origin footy in his time,” he said.
“Freddy’s record stands alone for the Blues.
“He has a different view of the game and his adviser Greg Alexander is a very smart man. They will be under the pump a bit (given their past record) but they have so much talent to pick from.
“We really don’t know what to expect ... they will be hard to beat.”
Miles is confident Queensland have the troops to continue their dominance but admits injuries to Broncos back-row duo Matt Gillett (neck) and Josh McGuire (ankle) are setbacks.
“We’re healthy at the moment apart from a couple of guys,” he said.
“Matty Gillett, ‘Moose’ McGuire and Tim Glasby (thumb) are struggling to be right for Game One.
“We’ve had a couple of meetings over the last month or so as selectors and talked about what options we have.
“We don’t want to dig down too much deeper into our depth. We have to cover the spots pretty well for game one and the (injured) guys will come back into the equation for games two and three.”